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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Giveaway: Inspired By Finn Amber Jewelry (1/6, US/Can) CLOSED

The giveaway is now closed. Stay tuned to hear the winner announcement. Thank you all so much for entering!

For your chance to win a baltic amber necklace or bracelet from Inspired by Finn, enter in the comments below! The winner can select anything 16 inches or smaller that is in stock. Contest is open to U.S. and Canada. MAIN ENTRY:

This is a joint giveaway with Anktangle and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only. Please find the section marked "Win it!" for the mandatory main entry and optional bonus entries. Read to the end for a longer biographical note on today's reviewer, Amy from Anktangle.

Inspired By Finn is offering our readers a giveaway of a Baltic Amber necklace or bracelet that's the perfect size for a teething baby! Inspired By Finn is an online retailer of Baltic Amber and Hazelwood jewelery for the whole family. The store sells youth-size amber jewelery, including teething necklaces with either a magnetic or screw clasp, anklets, adult-sized necklaces, bracelets and anklets, and nursing necklaces. They also carry amber for back and knee pain, amber earrings, and a selection of youth and adult hazelwood necklaces.

Healing Benefits of Amber

The healing benefits of Baltic Amber are widely touted. Amber is not a stone, but fossilized tree resin, and it has been used as a traditional remedy for centuries. According to Wikipedia, "amber and extracts were used from the time of Hippocrates in ancient Greece for a wide variety of treatments through the Middle Ages and up until the early twentieth century. Prior to World War II, amber was widely used in Germany for teething problems. Amber's healing properties are sometimes attributed to succinic acid which occurs as an oxidation product on the surface of amber."

Inspired By Finn has lots of information on succinic acid, Baltic Amber, and the healing benefits of wearing amber jewelery (emphasis mine):

Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world. When baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin.

Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of succinic acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special. Succinic Acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and its presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways.

How can Baltic Amber help us?

Pain Relief: Baltic Amber contains analgesic properties and helps take the edge off of many types of discomfort associated with dental issues, headaches, joint pain, etc.

Strengthens the body's immune system: In many different and subtle ways, succinic acid helps boost the body's own natural healing ability and immune system.

Restoring Energy: The human body naturally produces succinic acid. The salt of succinic acid (succinate) is one of the most active substances in the processes of cellular respiration and intercellular energy creation. Succinic acid restores oxygen and energy supply to depleted cells and helps the body return to a normal, functioning state. Succinate is a raw material and a catalyst in the Krebs Cycle which is one of our main sources of energy. During the Krebs Cycle carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are metabolized for energy.

Maintaining Wellness: When the human body reacts to stress, the body’s cells begin to use oxygen more quickly. Oxygen plays a central role in the intercellular creation of energy, and a lack of oxygen can result in feeling lethargic. Oxygen is alkaline-forming in the blood and maintaining a slightly alkaline blood ph helps keep us healthy. Whenever the body functions in a state of low oxygen, it is much more susceptible to illness.

To help break a cycle of (chronic) inflammation: Where chronic inflammation is present, disease lurks. When the body’s cells are chronically inflamed the human body’s immune system response is to increase production of free radicals. Chronic overproduction of free radicals results in inflammatory-related disease. Chronic inflammation is a common denominator of many seemingly unrelated diseases.

Personal Experiences

I had the opportunity to review an amber teething necklace from Inspired By Finn. My son is six months old and has been having teething symptoms (fussiness, chewing, drooling, etc.) since he was around three months old. I couldn't wait to try out this necklace for me and my son! I chose a necklace with a screw clasp (instead of a magnetic one) and yellow round beads. I learned from my research about Baltic Amber that the lighter colored beads and the more opaque beads contain more succinic acid than the darker colored beads. I also learned that round beads—as opposed to the more angular "nuggets"—allow the amber to have more complete contact with the skin, thereby maximimizing the effects of the amber on the body.

I wasn't sure what I would think before I got it, but I really like the look of the amber necklace. They come in so many different colors and styles, and they're really adorable! My son wears his amber necklace two different ways, depending on his tolerance for me putting it on him that day: He can wear it around his neck and under his shirt, or wrapped around his ankle, under his sock. (It's important that the amber stay in constant contact with the skin for it to be able to release the oils.)

A few important safety notes:

The teething necklace is meant to be worn—not played with, and not to be put in the mouth. Keep this in mind when measuring your child for the necklace. (Tips of measuring from Inspired By Finn here.) Some people prefer to buy a longer necklace, so their child can wear the necklace for a longer period of time, and some prefer it to be shorter to help prevent it from getting caught on anything. The necklace is designed to break when pulled hard enough, as a safety measure to prevent strangulation. It is not recommended that your child wear the necklace unsupervised or while sleeping. The necklace is knotted in between each bead, so that if it breaks, the beads will not all come sliding off and present a choking hazard. Take extra care with magnetic clasps, as swallowing magnets is extremely dangerous.

How did it work?

For my son, I found that the Baltic Amber necklace worked just as well as any other teething remedy we've tried (cold washcloth, teething tablets, clove oil, etc.). That is to say: I thought it worked some of the time, and it didn't work at other times. In the interest of full disclosure, though, my son is a "high needs" baby who has sensory processing issues. He's fussy (putting it lightly) a lot of the time, so he might not be the best child to provide an accurate review of the teething necklace.

Out of curiosity one day, I put the necklace on myself, to see if it would help with the headache I was having. I forgot I was wearing it, and went back to what I was doing. Within about half an hour, I noticed that I was feeling pretty good. My headache had subsided, and my tailbone pain (which I've had almost all the time since I dislocated it while giving birth) had significantly diminished. I was blown away by the difference I felt when wearing the Baltic Amber!

We asked NPN followers on Facebook to tell us what your experiences with amber teething necklaces have been, and here's what some of you had to say:

Amber says: my 2 year old has had one since she was 1...worn daily ...we lost it for about a month and she was super moody! Have not taken it off since! My 5 month old has worn hers sine she was 1 month old...NO TEETH yet but one happy baby! Not sure if necklace causes that but they sure look cute!

Mandi says: Our son has worn his since he was 5 months and has four teeth and another on the way. The necklace works wonders...if we forget to put it on after a bath he is one very cranky little boy. Otherwise we have a very happy little baby!

Meredith says: Love our amber teething necklace!

Eco Fresh Baby says: I've worn baltic amber necklaces since I was 10 and never knew they could be more than a nice accessory. My little boy is always playing with them and now I'm wondering if maybe just maybe it could be the reason he's never ever required any relief for teething.

Cristina says: They're pretty, but never noticed that it made any difference for my son.

Andrea says: My daughter has 5 teeth. She drooled a bit but never was fussy :) Wish I had them with my other kids. I bought a second for my older daughter who has a cogenital hip defect that causes her incredible pain. She usually wakes at night crying from the pain. We had to give her tylenol and motrin every day! She now wears the necklace and a matching braclet. We rarely give her meds now! She never wakes up crying from pain!

Paige says: My daughter has had hers on since birth so she doesn't even notice it. We just bought two for the twins

Heather says: Positive!

Jessica says: We love them! It does not stop all symptoms of teething, however, it calms her and in turn calms us :)

Kari says: Lovelovelovelove!! My son has never woken up at night due to pain, has minimal drooling and a fairly consistent happy demeanor ever since we got his many months ago. I only know if he's got a new tooth when he's nursing and I finally feel it! :) I recommend them to everyone I hear complaining about teething.

Starr says: I LOVE them!!! Wish I would have had one for my oldest two. My 7 month old has 'signs' of teething, some drooling and green stools but doesn't suffer pain. Totally fab... Also, I never take the necklace off, not for baths and not even at night. She's worn it since she was two months. Oh... and the beads are not only individually knotted but also small enough that if baby happens to get one in their mouths they will just swallow it - no choking!! Oh yes... adults can wear them as well for neck pain and headaches so they would work great for an older child cutting molars:-)

Molly says: My daughter cut her first two teeth without amber and she experienced all the usual teething pains. She cut the rest of her teeth with the necklace and you'd never suspect she was teething (aside from the increased drool). I wear one for heartburn. My MIL wears amber on her back (back strand from Inspired By Finn). She was hit by a car as a child and has had a sore back ever since. With the amber she wakes up every morning without a stiff back. My SIL wears one and her clasp recently broke and she said she noticed a difference without it - more headaches. My husband, GMIL, and my dad also wear amber. We swear by it and I think anyone who doesn't use amber is silly. ;)

So, there you have it! Many people swear by the healing properties of Baltic Amber. It's a safe alternative for those parents wanting to avoid medicating their children with topical anesthetics or over-the-counter pain relievers (like Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen) when teething pain gets bad. Amber can help adults and children alike, and everyone will look great wearing their amber jewelry!

BUY IT!

You can buy amber necklaces, bracelets, and anklets for adults and youth from Inspired by Finn's online shop. Most necklaces are in the range of $17.95 to $28.95, depending on length and intricacy. Some specialty items are more, and bracelets and youth items are less expensive than adult necklaces due to the smaller length. Worldwide shipping is offered. U.S. shipping is a flat rate of $1.95. First-class shipping to Canada starts at $3.50. To learn how to save 20% off ANY purchase with Inspired by Finn, go to this post on Inspired by Finn's Facebook page.

WIN IT!

Leave an email address in at least one of your comments if it's not clearly visible on your profile or linked web page so we can contact you if you win. (You can write it like this to foil spambots: mail {at} naturalparentsnetwork {dot} com or similar.) This is a joint giveaway with Natural Parents Network and Anktangle, a natural parenting blog. You may enter at one site only, and we'll be recording IP addresses to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. That said, please do check out and enjoy both sites! BONUS ENTRIES, to increase your chance of winning (leave a separate comment for each so we can count them all):

Put the Natural Parents Network badge on your website or add http://NaturalParentsNetwork.com to your text blogroll for 2 extra entries each. The HTML code for the badge is on the front page of NaturalParentsNetwork.com. Leave your site URL in the comment.

RULES:

Contest open to U.S. and Canadian mailing addresses.

Contestants may enter at either Anktangle or Natural Parents Network but not both. Entries will be combined for the drawing of a single winner.

Leave each entry as a separate comment so we can count them all.

For actions like following and subscribing, if you already follow or subscribe, just let us know in your comment.

For tasks that garner you multiple entries, you can copy and paste the comment with a #1, #2, etc.

You don't have to do any of the bonus entries, but you do have to complete the first mandatory one.

We will pick the winner through Random.org after the contest closes and send an email notification. Leave a valid email address as your comment so we can contact you if you win. If we can't reach a winner or don't hear back within a couple days, we'll draw a new name.

Disclosure: Our reviewer received a free product for review. We try to seek out only products we think you would find relevant and useful to your life as a natural parent. If we don't like a product, we won't be recommending it to you. See our full disclosure policy here.

I had heard some of those same things in my research (the opaque/light being the highest in succinate) so I would probably go with the butter round necklace, but I tell you, the Honey colored is just so gorgeous.

I can't believe I stumbled upon this contest! I actually just found your website because I was looking for a gluten-free broccoli and cauliflower casserole recipe, and then I noticed the amber necklace in the side bar. I have a four month old and have been researching amber necklaces just this past week. How exciting! I feel like the google gods lead me to your site for a reason, lol! I would love to enter the contest!

I recently purchased an amber teething necklace for my son at Granola Babies in Costa Mesa. I think it's helping. He was miserable before getting it, still fussy after putting it on him, and now that it's been a weekish he doesn't seem as fussy.